Manufacture of wooden tobacco pipe



Patented Aug. 10, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Alexander Winogradow,New York, N. Y., as-

signor, by mesne assignments, to David P. Lavietes, New York, N. Y.

No Drawing. Application January 5, 1931, Serial 4 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of Wooden tobacco pipes fromcheaper woods than the briar root wood ordinarily used. Heretofore pipeshave been made of briar because it is practically the only wood materialwhich will sufficiently resist burning under the conditions it mustwithstand in a pipe. Owing to the peculiar structure of briar root, itis difiicult to produce a finished pipe with it without blemishes. Forone 10 perfect pipe, there are many blemished ones, and the lattercannot be sold at good prices. Further, briar root wood, being lessavailable, only the root being used, is a more expensive material thanthe ordinary woods of commerce. It is an object 15 of the presentinvention, so to treat the ordinary woods of commerce, wood from thetrunk and branches of a tree, that they will be suitable for a tobaccopipe. The same treatment will also improve the lasting quality of rootwood such as briar.

Common woods such as maple, birch, poplar and bass wood, when made intopipes, soon burn through under the conditions obtaining when tobacco issmoked in them. These conditions are unique and differ from thatencountered when Wood is subjected to fire and heat under the ordinaryconditions of combustion as I have proved by experiment. I havesubjected pipes of the common woods, which were impregnated 30 withchemicals usually the most effective for fireproofing under the ordinaryconditions of com bustion, to smokings with tobacco. They soon charredthrough. Some of the chemicals tried were -mono-ammom'um phosphate,ammonium sulphate, sodium vanadate, and borax, all with very poorresults. But when pipes were made of the various woods impregnated Withboric acid they stood up well under very many smokings. Under ordinaryconditions, when wood is sub- 40 jected to heat and fire, the chemicalsmentioned above are by far more efiective as fireproofing agents thanboric acid. But under the conditions of the smoking of tobacco in apipe, boric acid will make the wood of the pipe endure for a very large45 number of smokings, while the other chemicals afiord little if anyprotection. These experiments indicate that there is something peculiarsurrounding the smoking of tobacco in a pipe and that boric acid meetsthe situation, While chem- 50 icals ordinarily far more efiective infireproofing do not.

In accordance with the present invention, the wood forming the pipe isimpregnated with boric acid by the usual methods. For example, a com-Renewed August 9, 1934 mon wood, such as previously mentioned, is usedfor the pipes and boiled for six hours in a 12 per cent boric acidsolution in water. Among the usual methods employed in the art ofimpregnating wood with a chemical is one in which the 5 wood is boiledin a solution of the chemical of the desired strength, the boilingtaking place in a closed system whereby there is substantially no lossby evaporation and consequently no substantial increase in strength ofthe solution during the boiling. Under these conditions, boiling thewooden portion of the pipe in a solution of less concentration than 12per cent is not as eiiective in rendering it resistant to burning whentobacco is smoked therein, than when a solution of 12 15 per cent orgreater strength is employed. It is also preferable to impregnate thewood of the pipe after it has been formed atlleast approximately intopipe form.

As is usual in tobacco pipes, the bowl and shank are of wood, while thebit may be of other material. Boric acid in the wood does not interferewith the pipe making machinery and helps the finishing of the wood ofthe pipe. Further, it does not interfere with the flavor of the tobaccosmoke which is a very important consideration.

I claim:

1. A process of rendering wood resistant to burning under the conditionsobtaining in a tobacco pipe when smoked, consisting in boiling said woodin about a 12 per cent solution of boric acid in water.

2. A process of rendering wood resistant to burning under the conditionsobtaining in a tobacco pipe when smoked, consisting in boiling said woodin a water solution of boric acid of not less than substantially 12 percent strength.

3. A process of rendering the wooden bowl of a tobacco pipe resistant toburning under the conditions obtaining when tobacco is smoked therein,consisting in boiling, in a water solution of boric acid of not lessthan substantially 12 per cent strength, the wood of the bowl, whenformed first substantially into bowl form,

4. An article of manufacture comprising a tobacco pipe having a woodenbowl impregnated with a quantity of boric acid not less in amount thanthe quantity obtained irom boiling said bowl for several hours in awater solution of boric acid of not less than substantially 12 per cent5 strength, whereby said bowl is rendered resistant to burning under theconditions obtained when tobacco is smoked therein.

ALEXANDER WINOGRADOW.

